The art of perfumery began, perhaps, in the ancient cave dwellings of prehistoric man. From its inception, and until comparatively recently, the perfumer has utilized natural perfume chemicals of animal and vegetable origin. Thus, natural perfume chemicals such as the essential oils, for example, oil of rose and oil of cloves, and animal secretions such as musk, have been manipulated by the perfumer to achieve a variety of fragrances. In more recent years, however, research perfume chemists have developed a large number of synthetic odoriferous chemicals possessing aroma characteristics particularly desired in the art. These synthetic aroma chemicals have added a new dimension to the ancient art of the perfumer, since the compounds prepared are usually of a stable chemical nature, are inexpensive as compared with the natural perfume chemicals and lend themselves more easily to manipulation than the natural perfume chemicals since such natural perfume chemicals are usually a complex mixture of substances which defy chemical analysis. In contrast thereto, the synthetic aroma chemicals possess a known chemical structure and may therefore be manipulated by the perfumer to suit specific needs. Such needs vary over a very wide spectrum. Accordingly, there is a great need in the art of fragrance compositions for compounds possessing specific olfactory characteristics.
Heretofore a major effort in the art of perfumery has been directed to providing means of treating odors that are offensive to the human sense of smell. Such odors encompass a variety of odors such as bathroom-odor, kitchen-odor, body-odor, cigar smoke-odor, etc. Many products have been developed in an attempt to overcome these odors. So-called "room fresheners" or "deodorants" are illustrative of such products.
In general these products provide a masking effect by one of two mechanisms. The maskant fragrance is provided either to suppress the offensive odor by providing a more pleasing aroma in large quantities or by providing an aroma that blends with the offensive odor to provide a different and more desirable aroma. Unfortunately, in both instances a large amount of fragrance must be utilized which in itself often proves to be offensive. Furthermore, the offensive odor is usually still detectable at the levels of maskant fragrances that are reasonably tolerable. Accordingly, compositions and methods for counteracting such offensive odors which would substantially eliminate such odors without the above-noted disadvantages are particularly desirable.
Particularly noxious odors are caused by compounds which have a pronounced tendency to either donate or accept protons. Such compounds will hereinafter be referred to as "malodors". They include the notorious olfactory classes of lower carboxylic acids, thiols, thiophenols, phenols, lower amines, phosphines and arsines.